BENEATH THE SAND
by LadyOthala
Summary: A few months after events from beneath the surface. sandy windy shippy, adventure. definitely AU. expect the unexpected.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

It was a routine mission complete with, sand that got into everything and sun that made you wish for a cool gentle breeze. What they got instead was the kind of wind that made it impossible to use the radios, the kind that blew sand into your mouth when you were stupid enough to open it.

There first day involved walking, lots of walking, with Carter following some doohicky, something about strange energy readings. Daniel, convinced we'd come to the right place, that the text he'd translated clearly pointed to an advanced civilization somewhere on this planet.

"I don't understand, it's got to be here. The text is clear," Daniel breathed a sigh of frustration, pushing his glasses back and looking over his note for the 5th time.

"Perhaps you have made an error in your translation Daniel Jackson."

"I don't think so T,ealc, there's definitely something here. These energy readings are like nothing I've ever seen, it keeps changing shifting somehow."

"Right energy readings. We'll split up to cover more ground , T you and Daniel start heading in that direction give it another hour then head back to the gate.

" We can't just give up its, only been a few hours we still… "

"Sir, these energy readings are worth exploring..."

Both Sam and Daniel started protesting.

Colonel Jack O'neill put his hands up "Daniel if we don't find anything we go back, send in a UAV, Carter, one hour." It was in his voice, no negotiating.

Silently she followed her commanding officer. It had been a while since they had been alone together. Things had been off between them ever since the ice planet. It was like he'd been avoiding spending any prolonged periods of time alone with her. On missions he'd been pairing himself with either Daniel or T'ealc. The comfortable comradely manner in which they usually conducted themselves had now made way for painful awkwardness. It wasn't so bad when the others were around. Daniel and T'ealc usually filled the void, but now… her mind wandering, she took a moment to admire his shapely rear end, which had been a mistake. Stifling a groan, images of a time not too long ago flew through her brain, with blinding intensity.

_Get it together Carter_ .

After walking for some time it became clear, she'd lost it… those strange energy fluctuations had suddenly disappeared. Well maybe it had been getting weaker for a while but she just hadn't noticed. _stupid, stupid, stupid… _

"Did you say something Carter?" the colonel said, glancing over his shoulder. In an instant his expression changed from calm to stern, determined, ready. Before she could respond they heard a voice crackling over the radio.

"Urh… Jack are you seeing this?"

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**A/N: this is my first story please be kind and review. good or bad it all counts**


	2. Chapter 2

A/N Thanks to all who followed this story, and to those who found the time to review, you made my day! Hope you like the next chapter;)

Chapter 2

Like a horde of angry buffaloes, massive clouds of dust and sand come rushing out towards them. Looking up at the approaching sandstorm, Daniel felt tiny and insignificant. He started fumbling for his radio, his voice filled with trepidation, "Urh… Jack, are you seeing this?"

"Daniel Jackson, we do not have much time. The storm is almost upon us"

Daniel had seen and experienced many sandstorms before. Being an archaeologist, it kinda came with the territory. But this was different. It looked angry. Not just a blow over. Still quite a distance away, but it seemed to be right on top of them, _and it will be if I don't snap out of it! _

Sam turned, and all thaughts of forbidden activities fled from her mind. The colonel started opening her bag and pulling out gear. Sam soaked 2 bandanas with water and covered her mouth and nose with one, passing the other to Jack so he could do the same. It took them less than 5 minutes to set up the tent. Wind unrelentingly pounding sand and tiny rocks against them. Once inside, gear packed neatly in a corner, Jack picked up his radio and tried to call his missing team members. He hated being separated from them, but it had been his decision. They were under his command and though they weren't military or air force personnel he still felt responsible for their safety.

"Daniel? T? You guys make it ok?"

"We're fine Jack. Teal'c has sort of mastered the art of camping,

"Okay, so we just sit tight and wait it out…

….

A few hours later…

"So Carter, remind me again why this tent doesn't just get ripped to shreds?" He was bored. And this silence was grating at him. He still had her bandana, now around his neck. It smelled of her, a smell he had grown too familiar with. A few months ago when he had been looping in time, he had stolen a few moments with her, he had explored their relationships. It had been the best few weeks of his life. Putting the moves on Carter at the start of each loop, just watching her make that decision each time. Sneaking off the base with him, sometimes to his house sometimes to hers sometime just out for ice cream, if he could have had more time he'd have taken her to his cabin. But reality set in quickly, he realised all of it was false, life is lived with consequences, and he'd been selfish for long enough. He knew that she was willing to sacrifice her career, but he wouldn't let her do that for an old dog like him. Time to get back to reality. So the next loop came and he returned to Daniels office and the tedious business of translating that text. The storm outside was getting louder. Every so often the walls of the tent would flap, but so far it was holding up, prompting him to ask the question.

"Well sir, it's made from a durable fabric we get from one of our off world trading partners.

"Off world, you say?" dripping with sarcasm.

"Yes sir. Actually it's quite ingenious…" He watched her as she continued talking he didn't really care how it worked only that it did, and that was good enough for him. It was just an excuse to look at her. Her hair was growing. It was curling softly at the ends like it sometimes did when it got longer. She'd probably cut it again soon. _These are not the kind of thoughts you should be having of your 2IC…. She's not yours… you made that choice… remember?_

And he'd made it again, after the ice planet. Sometimes he wished they'd never remembered. Jonah would be holding Thera in his arms and she would be whispering to him, soft loving things, words that he'd been trying to forget.

She was looking at him now, blue eyes questioning. It took him a moment to realise she'd stopped talking and then...

"Are you okay sir?"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: thanks to everyone who took the time to read and review, this chapter is a bit longer than the others hope you like.**

Calmly efficient, like a dance that had never been practiced, but one that came naturally. Sam and Jack had gotten through the beginnings of the sandstorm, no need to for talking, they communicated without words. Able to anticipate what the other needed. But now that all they had to do was, wait, Sam found it unbearable, being in that tiny tent stuck with Mr. Sarcasm himself. She didn't like to admit that she found his sarcasm and bluster, endearing. That was because she knew that it was all a show. The walls he built for himself; sarcasm, bluster, Simpsons everything he used to hide behind.

She tried imputing the data she had collected before the storm hit. Mostly just for something to do. But it became annoyingly obvious that she wasn't going to make sense of these readings with just her laptop… she needed help or more time or more readings for comparison. These were just the excuses her brain was coming up with to avoid admitting to herself that the handsome colonel O'Neill was just too much of a distraction. She found herself sneaking a peek at him from above her laptop screen. Dark brown eyes, tan skin, greying hair, that instead of making him look older just enhanced his rugged sexiness…

It was the same back at the SGC, whenever Jack O'Neill stopped by her lab and innocently said "Watcha doing..?

Distraction, was definitely the word, her mind was wandering. An infinite number of "what ifs" circling inside her head or maybe her heart? His playful teasing, the way his eyes lingered when he thought no one would notice. The look on his face that just screams "I know something you don't." and then that smirk that follows immediately after. It played around the corners of his mouth, making it look so… tempting…. _Not allowed_!

He made it quite clear after the ice planet that as far as he was concerned, it had been a mistake, alien influence and all. But she knew better. He had known what her body wanted, every touch with purpose, every kiss igniting a fire within, as if he had had prior knowledge to her carnal needs and had fulfilled them entirely. She had not held back either. When they had been Jonah and Thera they didn't need to. It wasn't only their physical encounters that made her heart swell whenever she was hit with a memory of their time together. Sometimes she'd catch herself feeling jealous of Thera, and then she'd remind herself that she was Thera… Hollow comfort…. And he expected her to forget it all? Just like that?

Disgruntled, she gave up hiding behind her laptop and put the thing away. Just then he asked

"So Carter, remind me again why this tent doesn't just get ripped to shreds?"

….

Daniel had enlisted Teal'c to go over his translations one more time. The tent vibrated with the force of the winds and sand beating against it… they came in waves, reminding Daniel of the beach, except with waves of sand and dust. _Not particularly recommending this place for off world vacations,_ he mused, then realised that he was starting to sound like Jack.

"Daniel Jackson, this text is written in an obscure dialect. I will attempt to translate it but it will take time… Teal'c said in his usual stoic manner.

"Go ahead, that's something we certainly have a lot of.

"Indeed" and with that he returned to the text he had been entrusted to.

Daniel fiddled with his spectacles. He'd been convinced that they would find a technologically advanced race that could help them fight the Goa'uld. Their last few encounters hadn't gone well. First with the Unas, who had kidnapped him, definitely not superior or advanced. Then with a terra forming "ship" bent on destroying the newly settled Enkaran population. Thankfully that had all ended well. And finally there was that damned ice planet, where their identities had been stripped and their free will stolen. He thought of his friends, he had a feeling something had happened between them, but he was unwilling to speculate as to what it could be. He hoped they would use this opportunity to talk.

"Daniel Jackson."

"That was quick!" Daniel looked over at Teal'c surprised.

"Indeed, your translations were correct. This is the planet to which the text refers, however Daniel Jackson it seems the people who once called this place home has left, perhaps the storm we are currently experiencing may serve to enlighten us in this manner?

Daniel frowned, then blinked, that had been a mouthful from his Jaffa friend "Wait, what…? What do you mean by that?"

"If the people who lived here were indeed a powerful race, mayhap they found this planet to be inhospitable, and abandoned it"

"Or they've destroyed their planet themselves and left?"

"Of that I am uncertain"

…..

Sam looked over at jack while she talked about the tent. She suspected he was bored, as if she wasn't already on edge, now he was expecting her to be his entertainment too. And clearly by the look on his face he wasn't even really listening to her. He was looking at her strangely; hunger was the word that came to mind. _To hell with it! _

"Are you okay sir?" He looked like a guilty schoolboy, about to be sent to detention. So she repeated the question "Are you okay Jack?"

"Yes fine, why wouldn't I be?" he was too busy covering the fact that he hadn't been paying attention that he didn't notice she'd used his first name

"You just look… I dunno" she sighed and looked away. _Come on Samantha! Don't be a chicken! How many times have you run toward danger! What's so different now_?

She looked at him again, then leaned over and kissed him. It was a quick kiss. Not particularly romantic, filled with apprehension and doubt. He did not respond. She felt her world crumble. Turning away, she moved across to her side of the tiny space wishing so badly that they had flat space technology integrated into these tents. Wishful thinking, but at least then she'd have somewhere to run.

"I'm sorry sir that won't happen again"

"Carter get your butt over here!" He sounded, she wasn't quite sure… but he was her commanding officer so she reluctantly managed a glance in his direction. Brown eyes met blue and that was all she needed. It was as if he had lifted the veil on his emotions and at that moment had given her a glimpse of what life could be. She launched herself at him. Tongues met in a searing kiss, passion unleashed. A blazing trail of heat swept through her body like a forest fire. She felt her entire body start to tingle. And then the tent moved. _Hang on this can't be right? What the hell is going on_?

The tent was moving. It started to shake. She was pretty sure they weren't on the ground anymore. Rolling, spinning, tipping in every direction, all at once. She felt a stinging sensation, all over her body, like a million spiders crawling across her skin, sinking their tiny teeth into her flesh.

And then, everything went black.


	4. Chapter 4

**a/n thanks to all who reviewed and are following this story. sorry for the long wait between chapters. here is the next one, hope everyone likes:) **

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Chapter 4

The sandstorm had passed; Daniel wasn't sure how long he could have lasted, stuck in a tent with nothing to do except watch Teal'c perform kelno'reem. So he was relieved when the tent suddenly stopped flapping in the wind. The silence that followed was unnerving.

"Teal'c," he said softly, gently trying to rouse his companion.

Teal'c opened his eyes then raised one eyebrow as he listened for the wind.

"Daniel Jackson it seems the storm has passed"

_Yeah, I know,_ thought Daniel. Teal'c always had a way of stating the obvious.

Daniel gingerly unzipped the opening and sand started spilling in; it had piled up along the sides of the tent. He poked his head out. What he saw made his jaw drop, then scramble out the tent like a kid on Christmas morning. He could barely contain himself. The sand storm had revealed a city of ruins. Large stone structures stood in the distance.

"Yes! We have to take a look at it!" utter glee painted across his face.

Teal'c had his radio out and tried to contact O'neill and Major Carter. As he watched Daniel Jacksons excitement, a smile played at the corners of his mouth. It was quickly replaced with a frown when his only response was dead air.

...

Jack woke first. He opened his eyes then closed them again blocking out the light that seemed to be burning a hole through his skull. The silence was loud… then he realised it was his own heartbeat thrumming through his chest. Something heavy was lying across his body. No he was holding something, then he started to remember. It was carter. He tried moving. Pain shot through his knees._ Damn his knees._

"Carter-" he whispered, throat dry, his own voice sounded like a scream echoing through his head. She didn't move. He tried sitting up while supporting her. _Please be alive_ as he placed his fingers against her carotid artery everything that had happened before this, whatever this was, played through his mind,_ Jack get your game face on, now is not the time_ .Her pulse was slow but steady. She had a small cut just above her left eyebrow, but it had already stopped bleeding. Satisfied that she would survive, for the moment, he started to look around. They were still inside the tent it had landed on its side with the openings above their heads. Adjusting his vest he searched through the debris of what was once their neatly arranged gear. He found his p90 and put it aside then he pulled his zat…_ this will do nicely_. He stood up in the small space weapon ready then unzipped the opening and peered out…?_ What the hell is going on_?

He needed to wake Cater. She would have some kinda brainiac explanation, one that he wouldn't understand anyway. She didn't look like she'd wake up any time soon._ Right, no big deal you can do this, piece of cake._ Then he felt his stomach growl. Just how long had they been out for?

...

Teal'c and Daniel had spent hours searching for their teammates. Daniels initial excitement over finding the ruins, now overshadowed by their disappearance. Reluctantly they had gone back to the gate and dialed home. Requesting backup. General Hammond had sent in SG6 ,SG11 and a UAV to help search the surrounding area. They didn't find anything.

"Maybe if we search the ruins, there might be some clue as to what may have happened to them."

"Indeed"

...

She smelled it first, the smell of pine trees and dirt… her head felt thick and fuzzy there was a dull ache above her eyebrow_, why do I smell pine trees_? Her body felt like lead. She lifted an arm up to her head, touching a spot above her eyebrow. She let out a tiny hiss at the stinging pain she felt there.

"It will pass."_ I know that voice_. She tried opening her eyes but they wouldn't obey her command.

"Jonah…?" she tried again and this time they did, feeling scratchy and blurry. His face was hovering above hers. She reached up and touched his cheek. He needed a shave.

"Carter…?" he frowned.

"Yes sir," shaking off her confusion. she looked away. Then she became aware of her surroundings. They were in a small clearing in the middle of what looked like a forest. Tall trees towered above them.

"Weren't we just… oh, boy"

"yeah-," he drawled, "that was one hell of a kiss, Carter"

"Yes sir."

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**thanks for reading, please review**:)


	5. Chapter 5

chapter 5

It was the remains of a once great civilization… stone structures stood crumbling, consumed by the desert all around them. If there had been any inscriptions on these walls at one time no trace of them remained. What the storm had revealed beneath the sand, unearthed more questions than answers. What was this place? Why had it been abandoned? Who had abandoned it? And where had Sam and Jack gone? It was the kind of puzzle that Daniel usually found fascinating… except this time, his friends were missing. He couldn't help but be reminded of another time they had gone missing. When the gate had malfunctioned… but that was so long ago. Wherever they were, he hoped they were ok.

They had searched the ruins and found nothing. Sg11 had gone back through the gate reporting back to stargate command. Sg6 Teal'c and Daniel had remained behind hoping Sam and Jack would somehow reappear.

Colonel Gregory Thomas McBride was reluctant to split his team. That was how Sg1 got into this in the first place but he felt confident in leaving his second in command major Matt Williams and captain charlotte Adams to secure the gate, while he and his other teammate lieutenant Nolan Gibson continued to explore the ruins. He had a feeling, call it instinct, that something was off about this place. He found it by accident. The edge of his boot had gotten stuck between some rocks and when he tugged his foot free the entryway was revealed. A heavy stone slab lent itself as a door. He signalled the others over.

"Dr Jackson you stay out here with Lieutenant Gibson. Teal'c and I will go in and check it out"

He trusted the jaffa to have his back, he had proven many times over where his loyalties lie, and sg1 had saved his ass more than a couple of times. He helped Teal'c lift the stone slab and went in first. The air was thick and stale. P-90 braced up against his shoulder as he walked down the dark stone stairway, it lead into a narrow hallway, at the end of which they found a small chamber. A few shelves, mostly empty, lined the walls and a large stone pedestal stood in the centre of the room. Skeletal remains littered the floor. What looked to be staff blast damage, clearly evident in the room. No sign of Colonel O'Neill or Major Carter_. What have we gotten ourselves into_?

Daniel stood outside waiting impatiently. When they finally came out he was relieved that he hadn't heard any gunshots but disappointed that they hadn't found his friends either. He was seriously starting to feel more and more guilty. If only he hadn't been so adamant that they should find this place, which, in his head, was filled with advanced technology, just waiting to be discovered.

Colonel McBride gave them the go ahead to enter the chamber, they had searched the bodies and one of them had been very interesting. A Goa'uld. In his pocket, a smooth oval stone that glowed slightly purple when the light hit it. Daniel started getting excited.

"This is a page turning device. We have to find the tablet that goes with it!"

...

She felt betrayed by her own stupid girly brain_… really, really sam_? Putting aside the emotional whirlwind she was in, she tried to stand up. Her body felt numb. Looking up at the trees around them… _where to begin?_

"How long have I been out for?"

"uhh" Jack looked down at his wristwatch "about 3 hours. The radios are fried. I've checked our rations, we've got enough for 5 maybe 7 days at a stretch," he said as he handed her a protein bar.

She hadn't realised how hungry she was until she shoved a bite into her mouth. Her stomach felt empty. Her mind started working. How had they gotten here? She tried to recall as much of what happened before she blacked out… _that kiss! Ok Sam, it had been the start of something good, but you need to focus now_. Her brain started making calculations.

Jack knew that look; he'd seen it cross her face a few times before. It meant she was going to start explaining things in big words that he was probably going to need her to translate anyway.

"Colonel, I'm not sure I can come up with an explanation that makes sense. Somehow we have been transported here. I remember the tent being lifted up and swirling in the wind before I blacked out."

"Yeah… I know… there was a loud beeping noise"

"Beeping sir?"

He motioned over to her laptop and other equipment. They must have recorded the event. A glimmer of hope reared its head but, was quickly thwarted when she discovered that they were as dead as the radios. she had a theory, but she didn't like it.

"Sir, I don't think we're on the same planet anymore."

"Yeah?"

"In fact I think we've encountered something that's not supposed to happen. The planet we were on must somehow be generating spontaneous wormholes. It must have something to do with those fluctuating energy readings I was picking up. We could be anywhere in the galaxy sir."

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** a/n: thanks to all who have continued to review and support my first story. working on the next chapter.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: once again, thanks to all who reviewed. your kind words have been a boost to my confidence. **

****here is my next chapter. just a heads up, Sam and Jack is not in this chapter.****

Chapter 6

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"Unscheduled off world activation."

With the usual kawoosh, shooting out toward the centre of the room, the gate opened.

"Close the iris" came General Hammond's voice, as he walked up behind Walter and looked out toward the gate.

"We're receiving an IDC, its Major Williams sir. SG6"

" They 're not due for a check in till tomorrow."

"Maybe they found Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter"

"Open the iris"

Major Matt Williams stepped through the gate, cradling his arm, he was exhausted. He had been out there for 3 days. One minute he was babysitting the gate with his teammate, then he saw the sand storm appear out of nowhere and he blacked out. When he woke up he was in some kind of swamp, he'd broken his arm. He didn't know where he was, or how he'd gotten there. It took him 2 days to find the village, they had patched him up as best they could and gave him a place to sleep for the night. In the morning they had loaded him into a cart and taken him to the gate.

General Hammond walked into the gate room. "What happened major? Where is the rest of your team?"

It was not the welcome he was expecting.

"Sir, I don't know."

"Ok, get your arm looked at son. Debrief in an hour." They acted like he hadn't been missing for 3 days, doc Frasier had reset his arm, that, had been a bitch but then they put him in an interrogation room, 2 armed guards at the door. _What the fuck is going on?_

* * *

Charlie liked her new team. She liked her teammates too. They had all gone out for a teambonding night of steaks and beer at O'malleys. She'd felt like she was on a date with 3 guys, all of them awkwardly trying to be gentlemen. That was until she beat them at the pool table. It annoyed her that she'd had to prove herself, but everyone had to at some point.

It was hot. She stuck out her bottom lip, blowing warm air up towards her eyebrows in an attempt to cool her face. When that didn't work she took off her cap and wiped her forehead with her bandana, trying to mop up as much sweat as possible.

Major Williams watched his teammate. Damn, it was hard to remain professional when she always looked this hot. Cheeks flushed, her short black hair stuck to her neck, and he wanted to reach out and touch it_. I have gotta ask for reassignment when we get back to base_. Seeing her like this, conjured up an image of her in another sweaty situation, one that he most definitely wanted to be responsible for. He shook his head physically trying to shake off the direction his thoughts were heading in.

The gate started lighting up.

"Look alive, Adams," he said as he readied himself for anything.

Then General Hammonds voice came over the radio "Calling SG6, do you read me?"

He walked up to the camera attached to the MALP, "Loud and clear, sir"

Back in the gate room general Hammond and Walter shared a look of confusion, on screen was Major Williams.

"If major Williams is still on the planet sir…"

"Who did we send to the infirmary?"

Back on the planet, as the gate cut out, major Williams felt a tingling sensation at the base of his spine. Something was off. He turned and saw, what looked like billowing clouds of dust in the distance. Damn. Another sandstorm? _what kinda shitty armpit of a planet was this_. Then he felt his body tingle, and he blacked out.

* * *

Having searched the chamber and not found the tablet Daniel felt defeated. As far as he could tell from the ruins this was not a goa'uld world. They had come to set up a lab to study the stone pedestal in the chamber. It looked very similar to the one on P4X-239 where Malakai had activated the device that started the time loosp. He started investigating the writings on the walls in the hallway.

"Excuse me Dr Jackson, I may be asking a dumb question over here, but shouldn't you be concentrating on the alter?" Colonel McBride asked innocently.

Without knowing it, he used the same words he had on Jack; during the time loops, and said "Just because someone can recognise the symbols on a keyboard , doesn't mean they can run a computer, I need to translate the rest of the texts so I can put the device in the proper context."

"I will assist you Daniel Jackson"

"Thank you Teal'c"

"Oh okay, well… don't let me stop you. I'm going up to the surface to check up on the gate"

The sound of the stone pedestal activating and the stone cubes on top starting to move got everyone's attention. Then lieutenant Gibson came running down the stairs

"It's another sandstorm"

Colonel McBride rushed up to the entryway to radio his teammates at the gate. While Daniel Jackson ran over to the pedestal and tried to figure out what was happening. Just as quickly as it started up, it stopped, leaving Daniel baffled and even more eager to get to the bottom of this.

"I can't get through to Major Williams or Captain Adams, we'll have to wait until the storms is finished"

A few hours later, after the storm had stopped. Colonel McBride gave the order to pack up and head to the gate. Daniel was reluctant to go, he wanted to stay and continue with the translation. Colonel McBride repeated his order; glad he didn't have a civilian permanently on his team. How does Jack put up with this crap? While the storm was still going he had even helped Daniel take photos of the walls, trying to keep his mind off his teammates at the gate. He had tried radioing them a couple of times with no response. As they got closer to the gate he started running. Lying face down in the sand was captain Adams. He dropped down on his knees and pulled at her shoulder. Sand flew off her back as he flipped her over and checked for a pulse. It was there and she was breathing._ Thank god_! On her forehead was an angry looking bump. They dialled the gate. Finding sg1's missing members would have to wait.

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**thanks for reading, please review... **

**next chapter is all Sam and Jack**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: thanks to all who reviewed **

Chapter 7

It was torture… watching her CO from behind as they walked. They had been in the thickest part of the forest and it had been a hard trek through. The first night was bad. A large wolf like mammal had been stalking them. Its glowing eyes reminded Jack of a Goa'uld ._god how he hated those snakes_. When it finally made a move on them they zatted it, several times and ran.

A deep howling filled the forest; it shook the leaves and sent shivers down Sams spine. Heart pounding, ragged breaths echoing in her ears as they climbed the trees, hoping that the creature wouldn't be able to follow them. They slept in the branches tying themselves down. Jack took the first watch, ordering Sam to rest. The next day was a bit better; they didn't see the creature only a distant howling served as a reminder, that there was still danger_, as if they needed reminding_. They had made good time that day. Putting some distance between them and the creature. But still, they didn't feel safe enough to sleep in their tent so they climbed the trees again, just to be sure.

Now, 3 days had passed and still nothing. No gate, no village. No footpaths to indicate human traffic only narrow pathways in the underbrush probably made by the tiny squirrel like rodents that they had seen.

Neither had said a word about what had happened. Both of them deep in soldier mode. With Jack leading and Sam dutifully following. It was all getting a bit much for Sam, who,** knew** the improbability of them even finding a gate much less there even being one on this planet. It all felt…. She didn't have a word to describe what she felt. She was always the one coming up with harebrained schemes, saving the day at the very last minute, with impossible calculations. And now? Helpless.

"Sir?"

"What's up Carter?"

He had felt this coming. She was losing hope. To be honest he didn't have much himself.

"What's the point of all this, sir?" she said adding the "sir" almost as an afterthought. He didn't like the tone in her voice.

"The point, Carter is to get back home" he replied putting emphasis on each word. "To see Cassie and Janet. Teal'c, Daniel, "uncle" George? Jacob?" he started listing all the people she cared about, then in an attempt to make her smile, "Heck even old Walter and Siller'll be happy to see ya. Besides whose gonna save the world next time it needs saving?"

She frowned, "Are we really that arrogant, we think we're the only ones who can save the world?"

"I'm sure there are others who could do it, but will they do it with as much style, flare and pizzazz, as we do?"

"Pizzazz, sir?" she looked at him questioningly, the beginnings of a smile, lurking behind her blue eyes.

"Pizzazz Carter, meaning an exciting and interesting combination of vitality and glamour."

Shaking her head, she silently contemplated his words. She did want to get back home, but it seemed so impossible. Then it occurred to her that he hadn't mentioned the one thing that she most wanted to hear him talk about. She knew he wouldn't. If she was gonna die in the middle of some forest on some forgotten planet she didn't wanna have any regrets.

"What about us?"

That had caught him off guard…. Precious moments slipped by.

She stopped walking forcing him to turn and look at her. He took the 2 steps needed to close the gap between them. She looked so vulnerable he didn't have the heart to crush her. His hands crept up to her face, brushing streaks of dust off her cheek with his thumb. She was so beautiful in this moment, every moment. He wondered where he'd found the willpower to stay away from her. Before he could bend down to kiss her, something caught his attention, something shiny reflecting in the sunlight.

There it was! And they had almost walked right past it. Overgrown, with branches tangling around and through it. The gate stood silently. Clearly she hadn't been used in quite a while.

He backed up a few steps leaving her feeling raw and on edge.

"I told you we'd find it? Didn't I Carter?" Jack said, as he'd been saying for the last few days, in an attempt to reassure not only her but himself too.

It took her a few moments to compose herself. She was frustrated, annoyed and that led to anger. _Forget it Samantha, he's not worth it,_ but, he was. And they were going home. Back to their lives. Back to saving the world.

The DHD was covered in clingy creeping plants that would not come away easily. It took both Sam, using her survival knife and Jack, with his bayonet to hack away at the offending branches. Neither was ideal for use in the woods but it was all they had. It took them less than 15 minutes to get it cleared.

Sam studied the DHD there were a few unfamiliar symbols.

"Sir, we have a problem."

"Don't say that Carter."

"Well sir, it seems we don't have enough symbols to make earths address"

"What?! How can that be?-" then waving his hand in dismissal when he saw her about to launch into some technical explanation. "urk… give me the good news?"

"How do you know there's good news?"

"It's you carter there's always good news."

She ignored that and said, "We can gate to another planet that I know of and the DHD on that side can dial earth."

"So we do that then. Where are we going Carter?"

"Chulak"

"Maybe we run into Bra'tac while we're out there"

Sam dialled the gate.

* * *

**what do the find on they other side?**

**I have this story mostly mapped out with a few minor details to be put into place, I've been busy with assignments so chapters will take a bit longer... if you can stick with me, all will become clear soon enough but these things cant be rushed...**

**as always please review**


	8. Chapter 8

**a/n: thanks to everyone who reviewed, **

Charlotte woke up to the familiar sounds of the SGC infirmary. Her head was spinning, so she took a moment to just lie there, listening.

Dr. Frasier talking softly to one of the nurses.

The squeak of wheels as a gurney rolls past her bed.

Shallow breathing coming from her left.

A clicking of heels growing louder as it comes nearer.

Then, plastic scraping along metal as the curtain is pulled back from around her bed.

She opened her eyes, eyes that felt like sandpaper and looked up at Dr. Frasier as she checked her vitals.

"You're awake, you gave us quite a scare there captain"

Her throat was swollen and dry, "uh… water"

"Yes, you inhaled a bit of sand while you were knocked out and it's caused some minor irritation to your nose and throat." Said Janet, as she poured the young captain a glass of water from the pitcher on her bedside table and handed it to her.

Charlotte drank a few sips then lifted her hand pointing at her eyes. She knew what her patient was asking.

"You were face down in the sand when they found you. So they'll be a bit scratchy for the next few days"

Nodding in understanding she looked to her left, and **he** was sitting there, fast asleep. Last time she saw him was when the sandstorm hit, he was being lifted off the ground then poof, vanished into thin air. Her memory was hazy but that was the gist of it.

"He's been sitting there for a while" Charlotte looked at Janet, then at her teammate and flushed.

"I'll let everyone know you're awake"

…

Chulak

They stepped through the other side. The air was cool, the sun hung low in the sky. It was nearing nightfall. As Jack scanned the vicinity around the gate he realised, something was missing. The stones that used to surround the gate were gone. Now, it stood in an empty clearing.

"Whoa… Where are the stones?"

"Looks like they were never here to begin with… I don't get it sir"

"I don't like this major, dial the gate"

"Yes Sir"

Jack watched their 6 as Sam started dialling … before she could complete the sequence he called out in warning "Take cover!" It was all she could do to dive behind the DHD as a staff blast came whizzing by her, barely missing her head.

Four Serpent Guards came running down the hill, firing at them. Jack took cover behind the gate. He returned fire giving Sam a chance to complete the dialling sequence home. As the gate kawooshed establishing a wormhole Sam sent her IDC thankful that their GDO's hadn't been fried by the unexplained energy in the sandstorm.

Jack fired his zat and got one square in the chest not even pausing to watch him fall as he fired at the second Jaffa now advancing on Sam's position.

One, two, three, damn, missed.

Sam looked over at her CO, the sounds of zat fire and staff blasts mingled with the Jaffa calling for reinforcements. They didn't have much time he was firing at something just out of her view but whatever it was it was coming her way. To his left was another Jaffa kneeling down in the sand, staff weapon propped up on his shoulder getting ready to fire at Jack, but he was too busy covering her to notice. She swung out from her position of safety and shot… the Jaffa dropped down to the ground.

"Get to the gate" Jack called as he looked around for the remaining Jaffa. He turned just in time to see her run through and a small flicker of hope reignited deep within his soul, even if he didn't make it, she would.

He took one last look around then ran toward the gate he heard their booted feet crunching on the sandy gravel as they ran behind him. He dove through; heavy hands tried grabbing him from behind. Instead, they followed him through.

On the other side they landed with a heavy thud. A Jaffa arm reaching around his neck, instinctively he reached for his bayonet_ now this is what she was made for,_ he vaguely heard zat fire around him but his mind was fully engaged with his enemy. He jabbed at his opponent, the Jaffa let go at this unexpected move, allowing Jack to twist around and drive his weapon home, through his symbiote pouch up into his heart, killing both symbiote and jaffa.

Sam let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, as Jack pushed the lifeless body off of him and stood up. He looked around him, walls of ice? Damn it's cold in here… what the hell is going on?

As soon as she'd stepped through the other side Sam knew where she was, how could she not?

Now, looking at two lifeless Serpent guards, lying on the ice, everything fell into place. It was all over. There is no way home.

Tears silently rolled down her dirt stained cheeks. Zat still in her hand.

…..

"Dr Jackson?" said General Hammond as he stood on the threshold of the younger mans office. He was hunched over his research. Trying desperately to translate the symbols they'd found. Hoping that it would make a difference, that he'd find something.

"I have formally reported Colonel O'Neill and Major carter as missing in action." and this time, unlike all those years ago, Daniel didn't have to ask why. A team had been sent to the planet Major Williams had been on but, nothing. They'd hoped when captain Adams woke up she could give them some answers. But it didn't help, from what they could piece together, somehow the machine they had found in the chamber causes wormholes, capable of transportation, not only through space but time as well. Another one of the ancients experiments that didn't work the way it's supposed to?

Who knows if they are still alive? Where or when ever they are?

* * *

**thanks for reading please review**


	9. Chapter 9

** A/N: thanks to all who have stuck around for this story and sorry for the long wait between chapters. all my assignments have been completed and now just gearing up for exams! phew! who knew going back to school would be this much work? **

chapter 9

"Carter…! Are you ok?" she heard him call her name, but right now, she didn't think she could answer him. She was frozen. And not only from the cold of the glacier surrounding them. The sense of relief that usually followed stepping through the gate after taking heavy fire never came. This time earth hadn't provided escape. Only cold reality.

Looking at his second in command, all hope gone. He refused to believe what his brain was telling him. She was… Carter, strong, fierce, solid. If she looked like everything was over, then he was worried.

They couldn't survive this without each other.

"Sam?" She felt his arms around her, and allowed herself to be comforted. She was tired. She'd followed Jack like the good little soldier she was. The scientist in her couldn't think of a way back home. Sam the women, needed this. They stood there in each other's arms for a long time, until the cold seeping through their boots became unbearable.

"Sooooo… where are we exactly? Did the gate malfunction?"

"No... look around you! We've been here before." her voice had risen in pitch and volume; she let out a long sigh, visibly trying to regain control of her emotions. She continued in a calmer voice filled with resignation. "This is earth."

"Excuse me?" disbelief evident in the tone of his voice but as he looked around him he realised the truth in her words.

"I'd estimate that we have travelled back in time anywhere between 100 or 5000 years." She looked over at jack and realised from the blank stare on his face he didn't fully get it. "This is Daniels area of expertise so I may be off on the exact dates"

"I'll try to forgive you" Jack said drolly.

"about 5000 years ago, give or take a few years Ra ruled on earth. After the people of earth revolted against RA. He left, leaving the stargate behind. The people of earth then buried the gate. Which was later unearthed by Professor Paul Langford and his expedition near giza in the late 20's"

"Catharine's dad … yeah, I always did find Daniels little history lessons fascinating…" his voice dripping with sarcasm "but er…?"

"To the point sir, right… We've always surmised that the gate we found in Antarctica is one of the oldest in the stargate network and we're only beginning to scratch the surface. This gate was left here by the original gate builders. So after the people of earth buried their gate anyone who dialled earth would then get redirected here."

"What about alternate realities? We could be on an earth that never found the gate?"

"Yes, but those are the 2 serpent guards we found when we were stuck here the last time." She looked over at the 2 bodies lying on the ice. "So I'm fairly certain this isn't an alternate reality."

"Okay Carter, how do we get back to our time?"

"I don't know… I don't think can"

"Well we can't stay here. Carter, you start thinking of a planet we could gate to. Something nice, maybe uninhabited so we don't accidently mess with the timeline… I'll search those Jaffa see if we get anything helpful" and the tone in his voice left no room for arguments.

She knew just the place to go, so she started scouting around for the DHD. When she found it she started chipping away at the ice. This gave her plenty of time to think. Her mind wandered over the events of the past few days. Images flashed before her eyes….

Teal'c and Daniel heading off in one direction, while she and Jack had set off in another_. Was that only a few days ago_?

Jack walking ahead of her.

The look on his face when he saw the sandstorm.

The feel of his mouth on hers when they'd kissed.

The blur of the forest as they ran, trying to find a safe place.

The way his fingers felt on her cheek before they found the gate.

Chulack.

And now… she looked over at Jack while he searched the bodies. He had a neat little pile of salvaged goods. A few shock grenades, 2 Zat'nik'tel, a communicator badge and another device she couldn't make out. She moved closer to take a look, then she recognised it _well sorta_. Teal'c had described it to her a while back.

"Sir, can I have look at that?"

"Knock yourself out Carter," he passed the device to her.

She turned it over in her hands. It was sort of rectangular shaped with a slight curve to it. It seemed to be made of the same substance as the gate, with the same odd curvilinear makings.

"Sir I think I know what this is, and if I'm right I should be able to do," she held it at each end and gently pulled "this". It slid open easily reminding Jack of a phone he used to have.

"okay, so what does it do?"

"basically it's a portable DHD, it holds just enough power to dial the gate a few times before the power core needs to be replaced."

"great! get your gear lets go."

"I haven't told you the best part, it's also used to generate a force shield over the event horizon for a short time"

"which means?"

"we have a portable iris"

"cool"

* * *

**i was a bit stuck figuring out how i wanted this chapter to work, but i decided to let it serve a more transitional role with the goa'uld tech and the history lesson and the time travel stuff.**

**reviews are always welcome, dying to know what everyone thinks**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: firstly thanks to all who read and reviewed.**

**just to clear up something, i did not create the device in the end of the chapter, i merely embellished a tiny bit on the capabilities of an already existing device used by Teal'c in an alternate timeline (stargate continuum)**

chapter 10

The alpha site

They stepped through the gate on p3x-984, leaving the icy glacier behind and scouted the immediate area for a suitable campsite. Sam and Jack were both at the brink of exhaustion. The last few days had been a whirlwind of tumultuous events, taxing on both a physical and emotional level. They needed to rest before making any rash decisions.

Sam was painfully aware that anything they did from this point on could irreparably damage the future and she was not willing to gamble with the lives of everyone she loved. How could they get back home? She couldn't think of a way without exposing themselves to either the Asgaurd or the Tokra. That's if the Tokra even existed yet.

After setting up the tent and rechecking their meagre supplies, most of which was lost when they had been running from the creature, Sam and Jack started collecting firewood. They'd chosen their campsite well. 10 minutes hike from the gate, protected by a sharp cliff face at their backs and a small ravine close by for fresh water. Carrying piles of wood under their arms, they spotted an animal in the distance. It looked like a deer only much smaller. Jack slowly lowered his pile of wood to the ground, the animal turned and looked right at them. Sam knew from their survey of this planet that this was a docile creature with no natural predators. So it had no reason to fear them. She looked at Jack who was already pulling his weapon. With a grimace he pulled the trigger.

Jack started a fire while Sam freshened up down by the ravine. When she was sure he couldn't see her, she stripped down to her vest, leaving her pants on and splashed cold water over her face and neck. Taking handfuls of sand from between the rocks she rubbed it under her armpits, scrubbing away as much sweat and grime as she could. Lastly she ran her wet fingers through her hair, giving it a good finger comb. She wished she could take a proper bath but it was the best she could do for now and at least she felt better. When she returned to their camp, she saw that Jack had already skinned the animal and had strung it up over the fire. She took over turning the animal, while he took his turn to clean up.

Jack sat down on a rock next to the ravine. He pulled his t-shirt over his head letting his tags fall back onto his chest. By now his beard had grown into a scraggly mess. So he took the time to shave. Which was tricky without a mirror but he managed to do a decent job. It felt like his hands were tied. He was a man of action. There had to be something they could do to get back home. He didn't wanna let her down. Physically trying to change the direction his thoughts were heading into he dunked his head into the cold water. Splashing more over his arms and chest.

Feeling slightly more human, with the smell of roasted meat leading him back to camp, Jack saw that Sam had already sawed a few chunks of meat off and had set some aside for him.

When she caught sight of him she said "You shaved your beard off" a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"Yeah"

"I kinda liked it," she said without thinking.

An awkward silence fell between them, both lost deep in thought.

The sun hung low in the sky; it steadily became darker as they finished their meal. Jack watched as the warmth of the fire dried her hair leaving the ends to curl slightly, making him wish he could wrap one of those curls around his fingers. His gaze travelled lower, moving down her slender neck, watching the firelight play with shadows across her skin. He groaned inwardly, _this is gonna get complicated_.

Sam stared into the fire, soaking up the heat it provided. She could feel her body relaxing.

"I think I'll turn in sir," she said.

"ok carter I'll take first watch"

"You know you really don't have to, the goa'uld doesn't know about this planet. It wasn't on the cartouche we found on Abydos. Besides no one knows we're here."

Her words rang in his ears _no one knows we're here._

"Yeah Carter…. I know…. I'll be right there"

In the tent Sam took off her boots trying to get comfortable. She slipped into her sleeping bag and listened to the sound of Jack moving around _probably putting more wood on the fire_ she thought, _probably avoiding me_. She turned on her side facing the tent and tucked her hands under her cheek_. _If he was gonna avoid her, she'd avoid him right back_, yeah right, fat chance. _Cursing her weakness for a certain stubborn CO, she squeezed her eyes shut, determined not to let it affect her. As usual that didn't help, all she could see was his face, the look in his eyes just before they'd found the gate. She could have sworn he was about to kiss her.

She was surprised to hear him enter the tent. He climbed into his sleeping bag then lay on his back with his hands casually tucked behind his head. His eyes tracing the ceiling, looking everywhere except at her.

"I don't wanna leave it in the room anymore," he said with practiced ease.

Her heart leapt into her throat. "Excuse me?"

"The answer to your question… about us… I don't wanna leave it in the room anymore…"

"why do I feel like you've had a lot of practice saying those words?"

"Cos I have… I've said them to you…more than a couple of times"

She rolled onto her front, propping herself up on her elbows then looked at him, confused, "I would have remembered that"

"Nope"

"yes" she said nodding.

"It was during the time loops"

"Did it work?"

"Yep"

"So, what did I do?"

"er... you smiled… allot"

"and?"

"We had a lot of fun together"

She took a moment to digest this new information. And she just had to know…

"Did we ever sleep together?"

"There wasn't a whole lotta sleeping going on" with that said, he finally looked at her.

She saw the truth in his eyes, "Well thank you for your honesty." she said letting out a deep breath.

"Are you pissed off?"

"No… I mean yes… I mean, I don't know! God Jack, you've got all these memories of us, being together. And I can't remember any of it"

"Technically it never happened for you cos the time loops erased everything"

"But it happened for you!"

"Are you pissed off that it happened or that you can't remember?"

She took a moment to think about it "I'm pissed because you left it there, even after what happened on P3R-118."

"What?"

"The ice planet"

"aww carter you're not gonna blame me for that are you?"

"How could I… Jack… we** found** each other… even when they tried to change who we are."

"I know… I'm sorry"

A moment of silence fell between them; it seemed to stretch into forever.

"Sam…?"

"Yes?"

"Come here"

"Is that an order?"

"No, do you want it to be?"

"No"

"Sam, come here?" he repeated this time opening his sleeping bag for her.

She crawled across the small space and nestled herself into his arms. It felt right.

This time when they kissed it was deliberately slow, purposeful. A measured exchange of love and devotion. Although neither had spoken the words they felt it. It was **there**, in the way his lips brushed against hers, the way her mouth opened for him, allowing his tongue to slip inside and playfully brush against hers. It was in their eyes when they finally pulled apart. Saying everything that words could not express.

"God Sam, you're gonna be the death of me! But" and it pained him to say it, "for now, I think we need to sleep."

She turned in his arms and rested her head next to his. Knowing that time was on their side because even though they were stuck in the past, their future looked a little brighter.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Sam woke the next morning as if under water… muffled muttering became soft whispers as her brain started making sense of the auditory stimulation it was receiving. Then she felt a slow burn radiating from the hand resting on her hip. Puffs of air pushed against her neck as his whispered words became clearer.

"-get us out of this, I promise."

He thought she was asleep.

She smiled, rather than start a fight she chose to ignore his words. "Good morning"

"You're awake…"

"With all that muttering who could sleep?"

"Yes, well… we should get up soon… the suns already up. And we need to scout for more supplies. I'd give you a good morning kiss, but…"

"Yeah morning breath…" she nodded in agreement. No need to taint the understanding they had come to the night before. _Whatever that was._ All she knew for certain was that he had finally admitted that he wanted something more. And this time, he didn't have a time loop to act as a safety net.

Awkwardly she rolled out of his sleeping bag, allowing him to slip out behind her. They walked down to the ravine together. Her body was aching from sleeping in the same position all night. _We'll have to zip our bags together tonight. _She grinned to herself. What would tonight bring?

"Daydreaming again carter?"

"No sir" she responded a little too quickly.

"yeah?" he said knowingly.

* * *

As the day wore on, they explored further into the woods. They found a grove of some kinda fruit bearing trees, looked like a cross between an apple and a mango. Up ahead, barely visible between the trees was, what looked like a huge body of water. Another 30 minutes of hard walking before they came to a wide clearing. It was a stony beach. The water was calm with the sun glinting off its surface.

Jack started stripping off his clothing.

Sam stood dumbfounded, before she could move he had waded in up to his waist and began swimming underwater. Only the gentle ripples on the surface marking his passage and it seemed like ages went by, though she knew it was only a few minutes before he came up for air.

"Come on in major, the waters fine." he called teasingly.

"well how can I resist" she said as she started removing her clothing, being more careful than he had been while discarding his. She folded her garments and placed them neatly on a rock. Leaving her sports bra and panties on she took her time going into the water. First testing the temperature with her toe, finding it warmer than expected.

Jack groaned, watching her take off her clothes and being so particular about it. That was sooo Carter. But then she bent forward as she dipped her toe in the water. And the view was just spectacular. The tentative expression on her face as she concentrated, damn. She did things to his insides that he didn't think he'd ever felt before, just by being her_. if you ever get back home, you're in so much trouble._ _How are you going to explain this to General Hammond? And Jacob?_

He pushed these thoughts away and concentrated on being in the moment. They spent the afternoon splashed around in the water like carefree teenagers, stealing kisses at random. Afterwards they swam back to the beach, took some time to wash their clothing, and then sat down on some rocks, soaking up the sun.

The air became cooler so they gathered up their damp belongings and headed back. Passing through the grove of sweet smelling fruit trees, picking a few as they went arriving back at their camp just before the sun set.

The day had been relaxing, for the first time in a long time she didn't have any pressing duties to attend to, and one could almost forget the strange circumstances surrounding how they had gotten in this predicament in the first place.

Sam was lost in thought as she busied herself with campsite duties. The quiet of the evening , sharply contrasting her inner dialogue, her thoughts centred around expectations of the night ahead She hadn't had many sexual partners, work kept her busy enough, add in the fact that she had a major crush on her CO and no, the dating scene hadn't been high on her priority list either.

_What if I don't have what it takes? _

_Stop thinking like that! _

_What if I don't live up to his expectations?_

_R__emember Thera? She had no problems in that department and you're basically the same person._

"Sam? What's wrong?" she was staring off into space with a frown painted across her features. He could feel the nervous energy radiating off of her and he had a feeling he knew what it was all about.

She tensed "urhm… nothing" she said playing for time, but she didn't fool him.

He took her by the hand, "come with me" he said firmly leading her to the tent.

"What are you doing?" She gasped already enjoying the feel of his hand expertly pulling her behind him.

"I'm going to show you how good we are together, and I'm not going to let you leave this tent until you understand" she felt more than heard his words as they sent her pulse racing.

Hours later. She lay curled up next to her lover, her skin glued to his in the most intimate places. He had definitely proven how compatible they were; no way would she ever doubt that part of their relationship again. She was exhausted, her muscles ached; he had not gone easy on her. Her mind drifted in that place between being awake and sleep and suddenly a thought occurred to her. It just popped into her head. Maybe she had subconsciously blocked it out because she had wanted this to happen. She had overlooked an important factor in their *spontaneous* time/wormhole jump.

The planet where this had all started and those fluctuating energy readings._ Damn_.

"Sir, we have to go back to the planet" she said as sleep overtook her.

* * *

**A/N: thanks to all for your continued support.**

**please review, dying to know what everyone thinks.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: sorry for the long wait between chapters... **

**this one just wouldn't make its way out there **

Chapter 12

As the heat of their lovemaking rapidly cooled, Jack pulled the sleeping bag over their skin and studied the sleeping form beside him. Fascinated by the way her hair fell softly across her forehead. Cheeks flush from their mutual exertion. Her big brain had remembered something and pretty soon it would come up with a way home.

And then what?

They'll never let SG1 stay together, _you do know that right?_

_Not to mention her reputation will be shot to hell_

Who cares what people think_?_

_You care what she thinks_

_And before it's all over she's gonna hate you…_

_Eventually she'll regret blowing her career on a loser like you._

And there it was, simple. He didn't deserve her.

He pulled her closer. Committing to memory the feel of her in his arms and followed her into restless slumber.

…

Neither Sam nor Jack mentioned the revelation of the night before they had awoken several times that night. Unable to resist consummating their love, again.

And again.

Long slow kisses that took Sams breathe away and left her wanting more. Clinging to each other with a need to pour their souls into the heart of the other and finding pure acceptance.

Days passed and it seemed to Jack he had imagined her say those words. _Sir, we have to go back to the planet._ Yep, it was his imagination.

They moved there little camp closer to the lake and spent their days playing in the water relaxing in the sunshine and making love. Deceiving themselves into believing that this was just a little holiday from normal life.

2 weeks passed by, and Jack had all but convinced himself that it had definitely been a figment of his imagination. It had been a particularly good day, and they were getting ready to go to sleep.

"Sir, we have to go back to the planet where this all started" she hadn't called him **Sir** in days.

"I know" so… _not your imagination Jack._

"I've been thinking there must be something on that planet, those energy readings must have come from somewhere..."

"I know" the reality of their situation was rearing its ugly head_. _"If we go… could we get sucked up into another one of those time wormhole-thingies?"

He sensed her hesitation.

"We have to take that risk; we don't have anything to lose"

Boy was she wrong.

* * *

General Hammond sat behind his desk. It had been an eventful week to say the least. First 2 of his best people go missing, effectively cutting his frontline team off at the knees. Then major Williams from SG6 had approached him requesting reassignment to a different SG team citing his attraction to his fellow teammate. It was true that SG teams were closer than most, due to their unique working circumstances and a sudden change in team members could throw off the team dynamics. This was not the kind of distraction any of his teams needed right now. He needed everybody in top form. Then again, was there ever a time that that statement wasn't true? At least he had some time to make that decision as major Williams was still recovering from his broken arm and would not be returning to active duty anytime soon. Now to the newest problem at hand, he stared at the offending report on his desk, wishing it wasn't there and didn't say what it did.

Hours earlier Dr Jackson had enthusiastically approached him about his findings, speaking a mile a minute. The machine as far as he could tell was similar in purpose to the one on p4x-639, but the ancients it seemed had a knack for abandoning unfinished projects that didn't work like it was supposed to. To be fair the writing on the wall was sort of a "do not tamper" "danger" warning, but you'd think the gate builders would be more careful about these things.

Dr Jackson had asked to be sent back to the planet so he could try and switch it off.

General Hammond had informed him that he would review the report before making a decision. Upon further reading he got the idea that to try and switch it off would be a mistake… a kind of reset button and that could be bad. Who knew how long that thing had been going for and what events could be changed or undone? Something Dr Jackson had neglected to mention. He understood the motivation, he wanted his people back too but the risk was too high. He only hoped that wherever they were they were safe.

Klaxons start blaring throughout the base... "Unscheduled off world activation." Came Sgt. Mackenzie's voice over the com system.

General Hammond made his way down to the control room and arrived just in time to see a familiar face making his way down the ramp as the gate cut out behind him. He had sent a message to the Tok'ra letting Jacob know that his daughter was MIA. But in all seriousness he hadn't expected such a quick response.

He hoped the Tok'ra had some answers and they were willing to share, if not. He hoped Selmak would help keep Jacob calm while they tried to sort through this mess. Yep, this was one eventful week and it wasn't over yet

* * *

Sam stared at her CO. They had spent the night in each other's arms, making love desperately. Their kisses were deep and urgent and their movements frantic as they tried and failed to push back their fears. Their climax, when it came was forceful and unnatural. That tiny moment of bliss sent Sam into an overload of emotions. The catalyst for an outburst so unlike herself, and Jack was there to hold her while she sobbed.

Now as they stood in front of the gate, about to step through (their gear packed up and stashed a few metres away) with weapons strapped in every available location, they were back to being CO and subordinate.

* * *

**please review! they keep me motivated ;) and thanks to all for your continued support**


	13. Chapter 13

**firstly a quick thank you to all who have followed, favorited or reviewed this story. **

**And a huge sorry to all for what I am about to do... **

Chapter 13

Colonel O'Neill stepped through the other side and was met by a squad of Jaffa pointing their weapons at him. He slowly raised his hands as he heard Carter follow him through._ Damn_.

He opened his mouth with a sarcastic comment but it died on his lips as he felt the electric blue energy from a zat, arc across his body. He arched his back and went down; writhing with pain.

When he came to, he found himself lying on the stone floor of a dark chamber. He tried to regain his bearings and he saw that Cater was lying beside him. Scanning their surroundings he realised that this wasn't a chamber it was a corridor, one end leading to a room with dim light shining through the doorway and the other to a narrow stairway. 2 Jaffa guards situated at each exit. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light he could just about make out the writings on the wall. _Great, Daniel would love this place._

"Cater?" he whispered as he gently pulled at her vest. She opened her eyes then blinked, as if to clear the fog from her brain and said.

"Sir, what happened?"

"We got jumped"

"They must have been guarding the gate"

"Who the heck are they?"He said to no one in particular as he searched for his weapons and found that he had been disarmed, thoroughly. _Double damn_

"Cater you ok?"

"Yes Sir"

The sound of Jaffa boots approaching caught their attention. Jack moved imperceptibly, effectively placing his 2IC between himself and the wall. 4 Jaffa entered the narrow space. As he rose to his knees he was acutely aware that this wasn't particularly the best tactically defendable position but he was unable to remedy the situation just yet. So, he resorted to his usual air of attention grabbing sarcasm.

"So glad you could make it boys. I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about us" he quipped.

The leader of the Jaffa guards nodded to one of his companions. Resulting in a swift kick launched in the direction of Jacks head. Metal plates embedded in the boots of his assailant met with his face in a skin splitting second and blood trickled from his cheekbone. The blow pushed him off balance and he slumped against the wall. He saw fear briefly flash across the face of his 2IC as he struggled to blink away the stars blurring his vision. _These guys mean business_.

"Silence human" the Jaffa fairly spat in his direction.

"Say it, don't spray it" he mumbled.

The Jaffa paused in response. He was not used to being met with such defiance from a mere human.

"Who sent you?"

Silence.

"Tell me which God you serve?!"

More silence.

"I asked you a question human! Speak!"

"Silence, speak? Which one is it?" Jack drawled facetiously. If he could only keep their attention on him, then they'd forget that she was there. He hoped.

The Jaffa assessed him carefully. Glancing down at their unusual clothing and judging from the design of the weapons they carried, these were warriors. His eyes fell on the female, dressed similarly to her male companion. There body language interested him most. Subtle though it was, it told him all he needed to know. This man would tell him anything to keep her safe.

"Take the women" he said to his Jaffa cronies.

Colonel O'Neill moved to intercept but he was struck with another kick, this time to his ribcage. Pain stabbed through his side as he involuntarily bowed down. Another kick and another. He rolled himself into a protective ball as instinct took over, vaguely aware of Carter being dragged off into the room at the end of the corridor.

A few kicks later. With his victim at his feet the Jaffa stepped back, amused with the result of his work.

"Tell me what you have done with my men and I promise I will give you a swift and painless death"

Jack lay there panting in pain, defiantly glaring daggers at his assailant. "I don't know anything"

The leader of the Jaffa removed a familiar object from beneath his cloak. He saw the look of recognition in the face of the man still on the floor and smirked with a satisfied grin. A Goa'uld pain stick.

"I see you know what this is, perhaps you have felt its sting before" he taunted holding up the offensive device. "If you do not tell me what I want to know I will use it on the female."

This Jaffa had already proven to Jack that he wouldn't hesitate when it came to inflicting pain.

"I don't know where your men are. We just got through the gate."

"Lies! My men disappear in the sandstorms then you appeared through the gate? Would you have me believe this a mere coincidence? What do you take me for?!" he paused in his tirade then with a flourish marched through the doorway, seconds later a tortured scream rent the air.

He was using the device on Carter. All Jack could do was listen to her anguished screams as the Jaffa resumed his booted attack, until finally a thankful blow found purchase at the base of his skull rendering him unconscious.

* * *

**A/N: I have aprox 3 chapter to go till the end... :(**

**PS, please review!**


	14. Chapter 14

thanks for all the reviews!

chapter 14

Bashaak was a proud warrior.

When he had been given the task of protecting his master, while he worked on the device here on this planet, Bashaak had thought it a reward for his ruthlessness in battle. It had been 6 days since his master had left through the chappa'ai.

As time passed and the sandstorms persisted, his warriors slowly began to disappear.

He had started to think he was being punished by his god and master. He had even considered abandoning his post with his men. And so it was, that after 3 more of his best men vanished in the storms, he ordered the remainder of his squad to assemble at the chappa'ai. He would input the symbols home and request permission to return. That's was when **they** had come through.

It was too much of a coincidence. It was a test. He was sure. One that he would not fail…

He was determined to interrogate these humans and get his men back before their master returned.

_Had he not served his god well_? _Why then would they not give in and tell him what he wanted_? He thought as he stared at the crumpled form of the female captive at his feet. It had been almost a full day and these _hasshak _had proven stronger than he had predicted.

_Or perhaps, they really didn't know anything?_

They were getting weak. The female would die soon. He and his underlings had traded places many times between the 2 humans. She had tried to fight back with everything she had and her punches met its mark with staggering accuracy. There was a measured skill there and he would admit she could best any of his men one to one were they to meet in battle. However outnumbered, eventually, she stopped fighting and accepted her fate.

_Why would she not just tell him what he wanted to know_? _Surely she must be hiding something_? He thought in disgust. Her failure to beg for her life only strengthened this belief. No, the more he pushed, the greater the reward would be.

The male had proven an even worse subject, with his constant inane remarks. Bashaak suspected they were meant to infuriate. At first he had thought that the man would be more forthcoming after following through on his threat, but he had seriously miscalculated. This human was dangerous. He could feel it even with him lying on the floor covered in his own blood. Even while holding the pain stick against his chest and hearing him scream in agony. The look in his eyes said it all.

No, he would not make that mistake again. He would tread very carefully when it came to this human.

The familiar sound of stone grinding against stone filled the room. Bashaak knew without looking that it was the device his master had been working on. The stone pedestal was activating. No doubt there would be a sandstorm outside. He watched as the sound roused the women and she weakly lifted her head to look at the device.

"It's the…the machine" she said through cracked lips. These were the first words from her since she had been dragged into this room. She closed her eyes apparently exhausted. He gently nudged her face with the tip of his boot. Her eyes opened, she seemed to look past him for a moment.

"Speak human"

"the machine… that's what's happening to your men… I didn't understand before…I thought it was random… but there's a… a pattern " she spoke slowly her speech somewhat slurred, As though she was struggling to organise her thoughts. "hard to explain… makes a portal… takes you far... far away…"

Convenient. What did these humans think he was? Now she was inventing this story? Of a device that, what? Made people vanish? He had thought her mind past able to fabricate such a deception.

_Hadn't his master told him it was not possible_? _Then why did he leave? And why had he not returned?_

….

Hours later… after the sandstorm had subsided. His god, Ishkur arrived. He felt the shame of his doubt wash over him… _surely he would be punished_. But his god had been surprised at the news of the strange human arrivals. _How could a true god be surprised at anything?_

"Give them water, let them rest. I want their minds clear when I speak with them." he said.

When it became clear that neither human would wake up soon, Ishkur used his healing device on the man. Bashaak watched his god bestow his mercy. He thought it a mistake. But he knew better than to question him. He would not say anything of value only more of the same meaningless drivel. It was then that he ordered him be taken in to see the women.

The man's eyes fell on her prone form. That's when the danger returned. It was seething beneath the surface.

Unaware of the change in their captive, Ishkur continued. "I can heal her, like I did with you. All you have to do is tell me why you have come here and what you know of the device."

But Ishkur had underestimated the man. He had not fallen for the false promise like so many before him. Instead he had grabbed the zat'nik'tel from the jaffa who was meant to guard him and shot Ishkur twice in the chest. Then with a speed inconsistent with that of a man that had been tortured he sprinted forward and took cover behind the stone pedestal. Bashaak's warriors opened fire with their staff weapons. After a few tense moments of back and forth shooting with staff blasts sorely missing their target, merely glancing off the stone walls behind him and electric blue energy finding its mark, taking down Jaffa after Jaffa as they unsuccessfully bottlenecked at the entrance to the small chamber allowing the man to pick them off one by one.

The battle lulled as neither side gained any ground… the smoke from the staff weapons slowly dissipated and Bashaak could see 3 of his warriors lying just inside the chamber. He had seen 2 of them take more than one hit and new for sure those men were dead. He dared a glimpse deeper into the chamber and saw his god Ishkur lying face down on the stone floor, unmoving. _How could a god be dead?_

"hey, you guys out there… you think that's your god? He's dead! No one else has to die… why don't you just put down your weapons and we can all go home"

"We may yet be able to revive him" whispered Bashaak's companion. This warrior had been by his side for many years.

"Why would we want to revive him?" he whispered back.

"Shol'va" he spat in response but Bashaak pulled at his breastplate urgently.

"Don't you see? He is not a god!" and Bashaak paused for the briefest moment as if expecting to be struck down then continued "we could be free, all of us together. Join the warriors of the Sodan."

"The Sodan are a myth"

"Even so" he turned to the rest of his men " we could find a place of our own we could become the legend ourselves"

He searched the faces of the men around him. They were loyal to him. "We could leave this place behind and go back home claim our families and take them with us."

* * *

**A/N: the goa'uld mentioned above was alive about 5 millenia ago. his current whereabouts are unknown according to stargate wiki.**

**now, with that out of the way, please review!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: sorry for the delay in updates, I have no excuse... R/L became very busy. thanks to fan of sun for your recent spurt of reviews compelling me to get back to it and finish this story, editing this chapter was a bit tricky but here it is... **

chapter 15

Jacob quietly walked through the SGC halls, heading for the elevator. He was going to visit his son, Mark and his grandkids for a few days. He knew he was the last person Mark would want to see, but he was determined not to lose another child again. His Sammie was missing and no one had any idea how to get her back. O'Neill had better take care of her, he knew she was a tough cookie but it was good to know that wherever she was at least she wasn't alone. He refused to acknowledge the fact that there was a very big chance that she wasn't ever coming back and could be dead already.

His meeting with General Hammond hadn't gone well, Selmak had taken over briefly and they had discussed the planet along with the device. The Tokra hadn't been very helpful, having not come across such a device before. After Selmak relinquished control, Jacob remained quiet for a long time. Then slowly rose and without a word left Hammonds office.

He was immensely grateful when he reached the elevator and the doors silently slid open, that the car was empty. He needed a moment by himself. Selmak was suspiciously quiet. No doubt giving him the space he needed.

* * *

Jack waited until the last of the Jaffa left before moving to Carters side. Ignoring the pain he felt in his own body, he quickly checked her vitals. She was still breathing although just barely. There was a cut on the side of her face that was badly swollen. Her arms where covered with bruises, most likely caused by shielding her head from the kicks she had received and her left wrist was twisted in the opposite direction. Her skin was slightly heated and was covered with a fine sheen of perspiration. Trying to remain focussed, he pushed down the swell of emotions he felt as he stared at her bruised and broken body_. This is why the frat regs exist_ he heard the voice in the back of his mind. He didn't want to imagine what other injuries she might have sustained while the Jaffa tortured her, but he knew he needed to get her out of here ASAP.

Scanning the room he located their weapons sitting on a shelf. He quickly strapped them on and gathered the rest of their belongings. GDO in hand, he briefly turned and looked at his 2IC… _was he ever gonna get to use this thing?_ Turning back to the shelf he spotted a familiar object lying on the ground close to the fallen Goa'uld. Bending down he scooped up the device and stashed it in his BDU pocket, then quickly made his way back to his 2IC side.

"Carter," he whispered touching her shoulder and gently shaking her.

She opened her eyes and relief washed over her as she saw the face of her CO.

"Do you think you can move?"

"yes sir" she croaked, letting out a deep moan at the sharp pain shooting through her arm, wincing when she saw the state of her useless hand. She felt a persistant ache in her side but ignored it as she shifted her body to try and sit up. "What happened?"

"Those guys are gone but I don't know if they'll come back and I'd rather not stick around to find out. We have to move. Can you walk?"

"I think so, sir" she said in a weak voice trying to stretch her legs. Then let out a string of soft grunts as she started to feel the rest of her injuries

Cradling her limp wrist, Jack helped her strap it to her chest and stand up. She swayed in his arms but managed to steady herself and take a few steps on her own. Together they moved toward the only exit. Sidestepping the dead goa'uld and the jaffa lying on the ground, they made their way out of the chamber; up the narrow stairway and into the daylight.

Once outside, their eyes slowly adjusting to the bright sunshine, they scanned the horizon for any sign of the gate. All they could see were sand dunes and a watery sky. Cautiously following the tracks left behind by the fleeing Jaffa, Jack hoped it would lead them to the gate. If the Jaffa had come to this planet with a ship and they weren't heading to the gate then they could be going in the wrong direction, but it was a risk he had to take.

After walking for some time he was reassured by the sound of the stargate engaging up ahead. He motioned for carted to slow down as they waited to hear the gate cut out before making their way over the next hill, allowing the jaffa to go through. Jack used the time to asses Carters injuries. Her breathing had become choppy and he suspected she might have a few broken ribs.

As she sat down in the sand her gaze wandered over his shoulder not really looking at anything, concentrating on not reacting to the pain as he poked and prodded at her. She became aware of movement in the distance and a feeling of doom overcame her.

"Sir" she said in an uneven tone.

"What" he responded only half paying attention as he focussed on her badly bruised side.

"Colonel, look behind you"

He glanced up, and then turned as he quickly took in the expression on her face.

"Oh for crying out loud! Not again!" he yelled as another sandstorm approached. "Come on carter we gotta move" he said as he grabbed at her vest. They scrambled over the hill and toward where they had heard the gate.

But the storm reached them before they could get there.

_Seriously! _ Jack thought as they struggled to see through the sand, swirling in front of them, still holding onto Sams vest as they ran.

Moments later a white light engulfed them, and they were no longer on the planet.

* * *

**so, thoughts anyone?**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: so I know its been a while and this was meant to be the last chapter but there was just more story to tell... next chapter will definitely be the last (I just can't seem to let go) thanks for all the follows and reviews**

chapter 16

Thor had been monitoring the strange phenomenon occurring on the planet and the device responsible for an extended period of time and after revealing his findings to the high council the decision had been made to remove the stargate, preventing anyone from venturing there. He had determined that it would be far too dangerous for the device to simply be switched off. Each time it activated, it built up enough energy to create unstable wormholes, which spontaneously formed around the planet. Switching off the device or removing the power core would trigger a reset effectively undoing time to the moment it was first switched on, which would undo the memories of those who had created the device. They would go ahead with their experiment unaware of the lives it had and would destroy again. In their pursuit to create a power source with an infinite capacity to store clean energy, they had destroyed their planet.

Thor had beamed the 2 humans up to his vessel. He would wipe their memories as soon as he had removed the stargate from the planet but then something unexpected happened.

"Thor…. Buddy, thanks for saving our butts back there. I don't know how you found us, but I am glad to see you! Carters hurt real bad, we've got to get her home ASAP"

How this human knew his name Thor did not know but he immediately scanned the mind of the humans and transferred them both to stasis pods. Sifting through their memories, it seemed these 2 were a bonded pair. Further investigation revealed that they were part of some kind of military team using the network of gates created by the ancients to explore the galaxy. He noted their first arrival on the planet and the sandstorm they had been caught in. Digging deeper he discovered memories of himself in both the male and the female. Realizing that they were from the future, most likely caught in one of the sandstorms on the planet, Thor knew he could not remove the gate. He also knew that he and in extension the Asgaurd as a race would still be alive in the next few hundred years.

He immediately requested a meeting with the council. This was a delicate situation for if Loki or any of the other ambitious Asgaurd were to find out about them they would be in grave danger. Loki had grown increasingly zealous in his pursuit of finding a cure for the genetic degradation in the cloning process and he would most certainly attempt to use any information these humans may hold about the future to alter his research. The entire Asgaurd race would be at risk of extinction. This was a risk that Loki would gladly take, Thor however, was certain that the council would agree with his assessment.

The pods would sustain their lives but not indefinitely, it would not slow the ageing process neither would it heal the injuries they suffered. It was never designed for long term use but merely to keep the occupant alive until their mind could be transferred to a newly cloned body.

The high council, on Thors recommendation, had decided that the humans would be placed within a time dilation field with a 0.16 light-year radius, slowing time within the field considerably. This would give the humans a chance to get back to their own time and if they were allies in the future all they had to do was wait until their people contacted them for help.

…..

Janet Frasier checked on her patients in the infirmary, the atmosphere was calm and serene a rarity at stargate command. This morning she had removed Major Williams cast, marking 6 weeks since Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter had gone missing. There weren't any teams due back in a few days and all personnel not currently off world were enjoying some much deserved downtime.. She decided to grab a bite to eat and maybe even get Daniel to leave his office and join her. It wasn't good for him to continue like this. She knew that he hadn't given up on his research to find a way to get them back; he'd convinced himself there must be some clue that he had overlooked, that could lead them to find their missing friends. While she didn't want to take away his hope she wanted him to realize that life moved on. She'd suggested he talk to Dr McKenzie, and address the guilt he felt about leading them to that planet. In some weird way he felt responsible for their disappearance. She let out a sigh. Thinking about her friends made her heart heavy with sadness, at least she had Cassie to go home to. Daniel didn't have anyone, he'd lost so much. She couldn't help but wonder how much one person could take or deserved.

"Unscheduled off world activation" echoed a voice through the corridors of the underground base. Janet immediately readied herself, her melancholy thoughts all but forgotten. These situations most often require medical personnel and her prediction was correct when the next request came over the speakers.

"Medical team report to gate room, medical team report to gate room"

Hurriedly she and her team made their way down, as she tried to speculate who it could be.

Running through the blast doors with her team, ready to treat whoever the patient may be she was stunned to see Thor at the top of the ramp. Beside him were 2 pods. She tried not to hope, not willing to be disappointed, then tuned into the conversation and caught the tail end of Thors explanation.

"…..and when we received your message we were unable to respond immediately." turning to her, he said, "Dr Frasier I have detailed instructions on how to extract Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter from the pods. I will send them to your base computers now" then he turned back to General Hammond, "Now I must leave you. It is time to remove the stargate from the planet to prevent anyone else from venturing there" and with that, the gate activated and Thor stepped through.

Approaching the pods she looked through the windows and confirmed that Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter were back,

After the confusion of their sudden return had died down, and Dr Frasier had managed to remove them from the pods safely and treat their injuries, she made her way up to General Hammonds office to give him a report on their medical condition. She had allowed the 2 remaining SG1 team members to stay and watch over them, with strict instructions to call her if they woke up; in fact she hadn't had a choice in the matter.

Daniel refused to leave the infirmary even after she had given him the artifacts found on Colonel O'Neill. Teal'c had crossed his hands behind his back, treating her to his stoic stare and said, "I will remain" in that Teal'c tone of voice that almost challenged her to contradict him.

Standing outside the Generals office she raised her hand and hesitantly knocked on the door. She was going to have to go in there and tell her superior officer that, although they had finally returned, and she had done her best to treat their injuries Major Carter would most likely not survive the night. A muffled "enter" came from the other side and Janet gingerly opened the door and stepped inside.

* * *

**please review, feedback makes me write faster ;)**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: its the last chapter everyone. please be gentle, just kidding. feel free to rip me a new one if it sucks. **

Chapter 17

Dr Frasier felt a surge of relief swell throughout her body, as she stepped into her Co's office and saw that he was not alone. Jacob Carter. He must have arrived while she was treating her patients. She made quick work of updating them on Colonel O'Neill and Major Carters condition, noticing Jacobs' expression of fear and apprehension when she discussed in detail all the injuries his daughter had sustained. Leading them down to the infirmary they watched as he used the healing device on his daughter. After some time, Selmak took over and forced him to rest, explaining that he needed to regain his strength before he could attempt to use the device again.

"**I have detected the residual effects of a torture stick in her system and it would be most unwise to rouse Major Carter at this time. Her body will still be experiencing immense pain however I have healed most of the damage to her internal organs and her broken bones.**"

"Thank you Selmak" the Tok'ra imperceptibly bowed his head toward the General. She was, in fact, extremely happy that her host would not have to suffer the loss of his daughter.

* * *

When Sam finally opened her eyes, it was only for a few moments but she recognised the sounds of the SGC all around her. The first thing she saw was her Dad, holding a healing device. She tried to move her head but her body was still weak so she closed her eyes, slipping back into blissful slumber.

Hours later, when she awoke again her room was darkened, a dim light casting shadows across the walls. At the foot of her bed, stood a familiar shape, shoulders slumped forward, his head bent low.

"Jack" she breathed.

At the sound of her voice, his head snapped up. He moved closer and looked into her eyes.

"Glad to have you back Major" he said. "How are you feeling?"

She took a moment to absorb his question, and the "_Major". We're back and its over…_ she thought.

"Fine…. Sir" she lied. He pretended not to notice the accusation in her eyes and went to the door to call a nurse who, in turn, called Dr Frasier. A slew of medical personnel crowded into her room and she lost track of him.

The next time she woke up. She was greeted by Teal'c. Who simply nodded his head and said, "It is good to see you well again MajorCarter"

Jacob and Selmak had left soon after it became clear that she would survive her injuries, it seemed they had abandoned some important assignment to be there and the Tok'ra were questioning their allegiance.

Janet was keeping her in the infirmary for observation, and she had had a steady stream of visitors and well wishers welcoming her back. He hadn't come to see her again, and she didn't want to ask. Daniel had mentioned that he was ok and as soon as he was cleared and debriefed he had left the base. She knew he was trying, in his own way to protect her, by pretending that nothing had happened. Just as they had pretended nothing had happened after the ice planet but they could chalk **that** up to alien influence. **This** had meant something and she wasn't gonna hang around while he threw it all away.

So after Janet cleared her to leave the base, she met with General Hammond to discuss her decision.

"Have you talked to Colonel O'Neill about this?" he said with concern when she put in her request.

"No sir, but he's not really been around for me to talk to" she said lamely.

"Maybe you should discuss this with him first, major. Unless there is something else you're not telling me?" when she did not respond immediately he continued, in a serious tone "Major Carter did Colonel O'Neill act in an improper manner toward you?" she swallowed and there it was.

"No! No, nothing like that…" _after all you are the one who kissed him first._ "I just need a change of scenery Sir"

"Major I'll hold off on the paperwork, you're on a week of medical leave, so I suggest you go home and think about it"

"Yes sir"

"Dismissed" he said looking unconvinced. "talk to him, Sam" he said in a quiet voice, "whatever happened" and he held his hand up to stop her when it looked like she was about to protest. "I don't wanna know. Whatever it is… running away is not the answer"

"I'm not running away" and with that she left his office. _Who are you trying to convince?_

* * *

Later…

At home, finally surrounded by her own things. Of everything she missed about earth when she was off world, the comforts of her home were always number one on her list. Being able to relax in a tub, dry off with fluffy towels and crawl into her own bed always made her feel grounded again. She usually spent so much time in her lab that coming home was like going on a mini vacation. It wasn't working this time. Her mind was swimming with the memories of their time away and General Hammonds parting words weren't helping either. Rolling over she looked at the bedside clock. 2:15 am. Chewing on the corner of her lower lip while she tried to make up her mind, she could pretend that it never happened and run away, just like general Hammond had accused her of or she could throw caution to the wind and make him see how much they needed each other. To hell with the consequences. She was done pretending, and if he still rejected her at least she would know for sure and she could move on with her life.

Jumping out of bed she pulled on a pair of old sneakers and her coat then grabbed her car keys heading for her front door. Before she could open it she heard the scrape of a booted foot on her porch, then heard the soft knocking that followed, looking through the curtain she saw the shadowy outline of a man, one that she would recognise anywhere. He knocked again.

He was about to turn and leave when she opened the door.

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see how you were doing…" he said, looking surprised.

"You could have called"

"Yeah, you're right. I think this was a bad idea" he said. "I don't know what I was thinking"

"Knock on my door in the middle of the night and you can tell yourself you tried?"

"Carter it's not… I don't wanna ruin your life" he said letting out a sigh. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly "I'm sorry I bothered you"

"Come in" She said as she opened the door wide enough for him to enter and made her way to the living room leaving it up to him to decide if he wanted to follow her or leave.

She exhaled a deep breath she didn't know she was holding as she heard him follow and close the door behind him.

"Sam, I'm an idiot." He stated matter of factly.

She turned and faced him, raising her eyebrows in a near perfect impersonation of Teal'c "yes you are" she said, crossing her arms.

"You're not gonna make this easy for me are you?"

"Nope"

"Ok, Carter…. Sam, I love you. This could ruin your career and I don't understand why you would wanna be with me anyway, I'm way too old for you and you're totally out of my league and if I were you, I'd run far, far away from me." he paused, scanning her face as he continued . "So, I talked to Hammond before I left the base, I'm retiring. He gave me the week to think about it before he'll put the paperwork through but I've made up my mind. And if you'll have me, I wanna spend the rest of my life with you or at least until you realise what a loser I am and leave me"

"Did you just propose?" tears welling her eyes threatening to spill at any second.

"I think… I did"

"You can't retire, earth needs you"

"Really, this again? Someone else can save the world for a change" he said teasingly as he stepped closer.

"Oh, Jack" she cried as she flung herself into his arms unable to resist any longer.

"I thought I could stay away from you. I thought I should at least try." He whispered into her ear, drinking in the smell of her shampoo. It was intoxicating. He left a trail of wet kisses down the side of her neck as he held her in his arms, feeling the heat her body, her softness moulding itself to the shape of his form and her hips pushing into his as she tilted her head back to give him more room.

"I asked General Hammond for a transfer to area 51" and it broke the moment. He pulled her away from him and looked her in the eyes.

"Why? What did would you do that for?"

"I wasn't gonna stick around while you flushed us down the toilet" she said honestly. "I couldn't go on pretending. Working with you and acting like we're just friends. I don't wanna be the reason why you leave the programme. So don't do this for me"

"Sam, I'm doing it for myself. Being out there is great, but what's it all for if we can't come home to the people we love?"

"You're gonna miss it"

"Not as much as I'll miss having you in my life. Don't go to area 51 Sam"

"I'm gonna miss you covering my six out there" and she flashed him a grin, blue eyes sparkling.

"It's a pretty good six" he quipped, mirroring her expression.

"Jack, I love you. And yes"

"Yes?"

"I wanna spend the rest of my life with you too, and no you are not a loser"

"But why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you love me? I'm damaged goods, I come with a lot of emotional baggage and I'm a miserable old sarcastic fart who, you by the way you're gonna have to dumb down a lot of that techno babble you do and…" she placed a gentle finger to his lips to stop his tirade and said.

"Stop convincing me Jack. Now, shut up and kiss me"

* * *

**the end.**


End file.
